Monday 1st December 2014

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 1:32 pm

AngryAsWell wrote:
citizenJA wrote:Good-afternoon, my friends. I'm having a rough time just now; a lot is going on in my family & feelings of powerlessness aren't comfortable to accept but there's only so much anyone can do. It's hard - it's been hard for so long for too many, not just me.

I'm keeping up with news reports from the ONS, NAO, Labour policy announcements, my friends' news here & May 2015. Please keep me in your thoughts. Thank you, my friends.
Hope things improve for you soon JA, thinking of you

thank you

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 1:33 pm

yahyah wrote:For @citizenJA & anyone else having a difficult time at the moment

[& hope RebeccaRiot's cat had a good excuse for the mayhem last night]

thank you

Kam · Post by **Kam** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 1:41 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:It seems that Gordon Brown will formally announce he is standing down as an MP in the next few hours.

This has caused an utterly forseeable troll invasion at the other place - the new "unholy alliance" of tribal Tories and CyberNats in full view

Its to be expected, if you haven't listened to this podcast please fine time to do so http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00494wr documents the great crash that all the tribal Tories and CyberNats blame Gordon Brown for.

Informative balanced look back on what happened and the role Brown and Darling played, a role that in a very short time will be regarded as pivotal in preventing a depression.

Kam

Post by **refitman** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 1:51 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:It seems that Gordon Brown will formally announce he is standing down as an MP in the next few hours.

This has caused an utterly forseeable troll invasion at the other place - the new "unholy alliance" of tribal Tories and CyberNats in full view

Don't forget the Kippers!

rearofthestore · Post by **rearofthestore** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 2:37 pm

Good Afternoon
I see Lord Ashcroft has reissued the polling figures for that recent very dodgy looking Doncaster North poll which was headlined as Ed Miliband in danger if Conservatives voted tactically for UKIP. Now it is apparent that was never the case and the revised figures show Ed with a 29% lead with 54% of the likely vote. Guess that will not be flagged up by the Guardian as the original was.
Lord Ashcroft has apologised to Ed Miliband for this mistake.

Eric_WLothian · Post by **Eric_WLothian** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 2:37 pm

refitman wrote:
AnatolyKasparov wrote:It seems that Gordon Brown will formally announce he is standing down as an MP in the next few hours.

This has caused an utterly forseeable troll invasion at the other place - the new "unholy alliance" of tribal Tories and CyberNats in full view
Don't forget the Kippers!

Interesting that the Kippers and Cybernats are spewing anti-Brown and anti-Labour tripe in the Scotsman while Sturgeon is trying to curry favour:

Nicola Sturgeon has warned that Labour must up the powers on offer to Scotland in the Smith Commission as the price of SNP support to form the UK government in next year’s election.

Given that Scottish Labour have previously refused a coalition with the SNP in Holyrood, leaving a minority government for 5 years, I really don't see them looking for SNP support at Westminster. Remember the end of the Callaghan government!!

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/t ... -1-3620774

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 2:47 pm

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 8m8 minutes ago
If UKPR is right than good news for EdM coming up from @LordAshcroft
Mistake's found in Doncaster N poll weightings http://bit.ly/1vbaUE2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 6m6 minutes ago
CORRECTED Doncaster N poll from @LordAshcroft
CON 13
LAB 54
LD 4
UKIP 25

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 2:51 pm

London FBU ‏@LondonFBU 15h15 hours ago
Freedom News | Why wasn't powerful south London protest against fire minister covered by the mainstream media? http://freedomnews.org.uk/penny-mordaunt-vs-the-fbu/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 2:58 pm

ohsocynical wrote:London FBU ‏@LondonFBU 15h15 hours ago
Freedom News | Why wasn't powerful south London protest against fire minister covered by the mainstream media? http://freedomnews.org.uk/penny-mordaunt-vs-the-fbu/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

Indeed. Friends who still live there (I moved out just over a year ago) said it brought the whole area to a screaming halt. Mordaunt has handled her brief very badly, perhaps she should have spent more time paying attention to that instead of flirting with her sailor buddies.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 3:20 pm

Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 36m 36 minutes ago
So even if CON tactically vote with UKIP in Doncaster N then EdM would have 18% lead. REVISED @LordAshcroft polll

That's some 'mistake'. No wonder he's issued an apology.

Are we expecting to see that apology and correction widely covered in the media?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 3:23 pm

Ed Miliband and Doncaster North: a correction (and apology)
http://lordashcroftpolls.com/2014/12/ed ... orrection/

Post by **refitman** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 3:26 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 36m 36 minutes ago
So even if CON tactically vote with UKIP in Doncaster N then EdM would have 18% lead. REVISED @LordAshcroft polll
That's some 'mistake'. No wonder he's issued an apology.

Are we expecting to see that apology and correction widely covered in the media?

Andrew Sparrow's just put it on his blog. Here is the Ashcroft apology:

A mistake at the data processing stage meant that the poll included too many Conservative voters and not enough Labour voters. This made opinion in Doncaster North look considerably less favourable towards Ed Miliband than it actually is.

Corrected data tables are below, as is an amended summary of the results. In a nutshell, Labour lead UKIP by 29 points in Doncaster North, not twelve; Miliband leads Cameron as best PM by 14 points, not one point; Miliband’s constituents would rather see him as PM than Cameron; they give him the highest ratings of the four main party leaders, not the third highest; and they trust Miliband and Labour more on the economy than Cameron and Osborne, not the reverse.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 3:35 pm

refitman wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 36m 36 minutes ago
So even if CON tactically vote with UKIP in Doncaster N then EdM would have 18% lead. REVISED @LordAshcroft polll
That's some 'mistake'. No wonder he's issued an apology.

Are we expecting to see that apology and correction widely covered in the media?
Andrew Sparrow's just put it on his blog. Here is the Ashcroft apology:
A mistake at the data processing stage meant that the poll included too many Conservative voters and not enough Labour voters. This made opinion in Doncaster North look considerably less favourable towards Ed Miliband than it actually is.

Corrected data tables are below, as is an amended summary of the results. In a nutshell, Labour lead UKIP by 29 points in Doncaster North, not twelve; Miliband leads Cameron as best PM by 14 points, not one point; Miliband’s constituents would rather see him as PM than Cameron; they give him the highest ratings of the four main party leaders, not the third highest; and they trust Miliband and Labour more on the economy than Cameron and Osborne, not the reverse.

Holy shit. They made a mess of that didn't they.

diGriz · Post by **diGriz** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 3:36 pm

refitman wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 36m 36 minutes ago
So even if CON tactically vote with UKIP in Doncaster N then EdM would have 18% lead. REVISED @LordAshcroft polll
That's some 'mistake'. No wonder he's issued an apology.

Are we expecting to see that apology and correction widely covered in the media?
Andrew Sparrow's just put it on his blog. Here is the Ashcroft apology:
A mistake at the data processing stage meant that the poll included too many Conservative voters and not enough Labour voters. This made opinion in Doncaster North look considerably less favourable towards Ed Miliband than it actually is.

Corrected data tables are below, as is an amended summary of the results. In a nutshell, Labour lead UKIP by 29 points in Doncaster North, not twelve; Miliband leads Cameron as best PM by 14 points, not one point; Miliband’s constituents would rather see him as PM than Cameron; they give him the highest ratings of the four main party leaders, not the third highest; and they trust Miliband and Labour more on the economy than Cameron and Osborne, not the reverse.

I wonder if this has happened to any other of his recent polls? I suspect so.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 3:51 pm

diGriz wrote:
refitman wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote: That's some 'mistake'. No wonder he's issued an apology.

Are we expecting to see that apology and correction widely covered in the media?
Andrew Sparrow's just put it on his blog. Here is the Ashcroft apology:
A mistake at the data processing stage meant that the poll included too many Conservative voters and not enough Labour voters. This made opinion in Doncaster North look considerably less favourable towards Ed Miliband than it actually is.

Corrected data tables are below, as is an amended summary of the results. In a nutshell, Labour lead UKIP by 29 points in Doncaster North, not twelve; Miliband leads Cameron as best PM by 14 points, not one point; Miliband’s constituents would rather see him as PM than Cameron; they give him the highest ratings of the four main party leaders, not the third highest; and they trust Miliband and Labour more on the economy than Cameron and Osborne, not the reverse.
I wonder if this has happened to any other of his recent polls? I suspect so.

It was UK Polling Report bods and Anthony Wells who alerted Ashcroft to the errors. I imagine they are going to be extra vigilant on his polls from now on ... and that Ashcroft will be double and treble checking as well. I certainly hope so.

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 3:54 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
diGriz wrote:
refitman wrote: Andrew Sparrow's just put it on his blog. Here is the Ashcroft apology:
I wonder if this has happened to any other of his recent polls? I suspect so.
It was UK Polling Report bods and Anthony Wells who alerted Ashcroft to the errors. I imagine they are going to be extra vigilant on his polls from now on ... and that Ashcroft will be double and treble checking as well. I certainly hope so.

Meanwhile the Guardian will be commissioning him to do loads more for them. Coalition friendly results guaranteed

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 3:59 pm

Lord Ashcroft @LordAshcroft · 45 secs 46 seconds ago
Ashcroft National Poll, 28-30 November: CON 30%, LAB 32%, LDEM 7%, UKIP 16%, GRN 6%. Full details on @ConHome, 4pm.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 4:01 pm

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 8m8 minutes ago
The corrected @LordAshcroft Doncaster N poll shows a CON to LAB swing of 7%

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 4:04 pm

UK settlement procedure requires everyone, regardless of requirements agreed to previously, to register with the company currently granted jurisdiction over administering what is called the UK Visas and Immigration Life in the UK Assessment test.

This item has a 20% rated VAT charge.

Everyone must use the Internet to access the website in order to make an appointment arbitrarily restricted by geographical location within the UK. There's no other way. If no appointments are available, there's no alternative but to request a costly extension of current citizenship status & hope for a better day.

How is it possible to fulfil citizenship obligations when not given the opportunity to demonstrate them?

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 4:12 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 8m8 minutes ago
The corrected @LordAshcroft Doncaster N poll shows a CON to LAB swing of 7%

That's some of the best news I've yet to read today. Though given Ashcroft's recent egregious mistakes, he's compromised his professional standing. He should have taken greater care. Sloppy work is useless.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 4:23 pm

Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 16 mins 16 minutes ago
@LordAshcroft poll ENGLAND ONLY figures with changes on GE10 result
CON 30 -9.6
LAB 32 +2.3
LD 7 -17.2
UKIP 16 +13.5
A CON-LAB swing of 5.9%

I'm confused now .... was it a National poll - as Ashcroft tweeted it ... or was it just England?

Replying to myself now .... (advanced sign of severe confusion, absence of sufficient nerdiness factor?) to say have just seen a post with the Scottish figures from that poll - so must be national ... that's unless Ashcroft doesn't bother with Wales of course?

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 4:29 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 16 mins 16 minutes ago
@LordAshcroft poll ENGLAND ONLY figures with changes on GE10 result
CON 30 -9.6
LAB 32 +2.3
LD 7 -17.2
UKIP 16 +13.5
A CON-LAB swing of 5.9%
I'm confused now .... was it a National poll - as Ashcroft tweeted it ... or was it just England?

Enough of this slipshod work - someone get his supervisor on the line & get him out of there, please. We can't depend upon someone making these errors.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 4:32 pm

citizenJA wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 16 mins 16 minutes ago
@LordAshcroft poll ENGLAND ONLY figures with changes on GE10 result
CON 30 -9.6
LAB 32 +2.3
LD 7 -17.2
UKIP 16 +13.5
A CON-LAB swing of 5.9%
I'm confused now .... was it a National poll - as Ashcroft tweeted it ... or was it just England?
Enough of this slipshod work - someone get his supervisor on the line & get him out of there, please. We can't depend upon someone making these errors.

See my edit above Citizen. It's me, not Ashcroft or Smithson. Just had an injection of peanut butter on toast so my blood sugar levels should be restored shortly and brain functioning back to normal (just about able to work out what's going on ...).

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 4:36 pm

These first comments on Ashcroft's summary of his poll results at Conservative Home nearly had me having an accident ...

itdoesntaddup124p · 15 minutes ago
It is astonishing and very worrying if Tories think that ultra Left Greens are preferable to UKIP. It is also a mark of the ongoing pervasive Green propaganda pushed out by our national broadcaster.

MarkHDHudson115p · 3 minutes ago
The Greens. Preferable to UKIP? The reasons to renew my Conservative Party membership reduce by the day.

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 4:39 pm

yahyah wrote:
gilsey wrote:As it happens I think the new flat rate pension is about the only good thing the govt has done. We've had discussions here about citizens income, and the new pension is the nearest we're ever going to get to it.

Better-off people have already earned more than the new flat rate through SERPS and S2P, so there's no additional spending there. Just less means-testing for the poorer people, which is good news to me.

It looks good, but don't forget that the Coalition's new flat rate pension requires 35 years paying in.
Labour reduced the paying in requirement for state pension to 30 years some time ago.

I will not qualify for the full flat rate pension when I am 66, while having full entitlement under the current system.

There's 2 sides to that though.
Years ago, before Labour reduced the qualifying years, I paid in voluntarily for a year that I'd missed because I wasn't sure I would get to 40. Didn't need to, as it turned out.

I realise there'll still be means-testing for those without the 35 years contributions, but look at willow's post.
I personally wouldn't be unhappy if you got the same money as me even though you hadn't worked as long, but many would begrudge it, that seems to be the common attitude.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 4:39 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
citizenJA wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote: I'm confused now .... was it a National poll - as Ashcroft tweeted it ... or was it just England?
Enough of this slipshod work - someone get his supervisor on the line & get him out of there, please. We can't depend upon someone making these errors.
See my edit above Citizen. It's me, not Ashcroft or Smithson. Just had an injection of peanut butter on toast so my blood sugar levels should be restored shortly and brain functioning back to normal (just about able to work out what's going on ...).

What we may justifiably ask from our friends here & on other threads is different from what we must demand from professional statisticians trusted with data points, data collection instruments & reported data.

Okie-dokie then. Enjoy your peanut butter. Crackers & cheese, me.

I still want Ashcroft fired.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 4:44 pm

Political Cheese of the Day.

: PoliticalCheeseOfTheDay.jpg (34.47 KiB) Viewed 14582 times

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 4:49 pm

Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 4 mins 4 minutes ago
What made false Doncaster N poll so toxic was that it fitted the media EdM narrative
Doubt if corrected poll will have reverse effect

Well good that he's saying this.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 4:52 pm

We asked a modest-sized room full of Conservative party supporters. None of them were Labour supporters. This made opinion in Doncaster North look considerably less favourable towards Ed Miliband than it actually is. Reports coming in now tell us Tory party members voting Labour in Doncaster North are claiming there was never anything 'weird' about Ed Miliband.

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 5:06 pm

Willow904 wrote:
gilsey wrote:As it happens I think the new flat rate pension is about the only good thing the govt has done. We've had discussions here about citizens income, and the new pension is the nearest we're ever going to get to it.

Better-off people have already earned more than the new flat rate through SERPS and S2P, so there's no additional spending there. Just less means-testing for the poorer people, which is good news to me.
But won't people who have paid serps be unhappy that people who haven't are now to get the same as them. People who maybe chose to bump up their private pension instead of paying serps? Several people here seem to think the Tories' plans for a flat rate pension is a good thing and I'm trying to work out why because I can't see it myself. Surely someone who has opted out of serps and put the money in a private pension will now get the extra on their state pension they haven't contributed for PLUS the benefit of extra money in a private pension. And means-testing isn't likely to go away with the new requirement of 35 qualifying years to get the state pension, is it? I'm sorry, but it was Osborne who came up with these pension changes, I just find it hard to believe it will be better for ordinary people.

In answer to the part I've bolded, I'm sure there will be some who benefit that way. I won't be unhappy about it. Will you?

There will be many who opted out of SERPS after being conned by slick private pension salesmen, whose private provision is worth peanuts but would have been enough to disqualify them from means-tested benefits. What about them?

The new rules will take away a whole raft of complexity as opting-out/contracting-out is no longer an option. When you change any long-term system there inevitably will be transitional issues.

The main objective is to encourage modest pension savers by making it more likely that they can get something back from their efforts.
People are unhappy now if they've saved a little but could have got the same in benefits.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 5:26 pm

Ben Bradshaw ‏@BenPBradshaw 4m4 minutes ago
Hunt blames "poor communication" for #Devon girl with mental illness put in police cell. Disgraceful. He's in total denial about #NHS crisis

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 5:30 pm

Listening to the Radio 4 PM item on home care - the too frequent exploitation of care workers, zero hours contracts, not paying them for travel time, or petrol costs - and the terrible distress they and their clients face from the 15 minutes time and task slots - knowing they are leaving someone before they really should if they want to give proper care, that they are unable to give them even a little bit of human time ... has me in tears.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 5:32 pm

Academies Week ‏@AcademiesWeek 1h1 hour ago
BREAKING: Maths AS and A Level reforms delayed for a year http://academiesweek.co.uk/?p=3524" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What's that about then - over to one of our forensic education researchers and posters?

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 5:45 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Academies Week ‏@AcademiesWeek 1h1 hour ago
BREAKING: Maths AS and A Level reforms delayed for a year http://academiesweek.co.uk/?p=3524" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
What's that about then - over to one of our forensic education researchers and posters?

I'm primary not secondary but it looks like they're trying to line up the start with pupils finishing the new GCSE which makes sense. And...

Athene Donald ‏@AtheneDonald 1h1 hour ago
“@miss_mcinerney: Maths AS and A level reforms to be delayed: http://academiesweek.co.uk/?p=3524" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ” Should always have planned to do this, DfE were told!

Gove's Legacy [© 2014]

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 5:48 pm

Apparently it was Edu Questions in the Commons which I missed...but I like this:

Laura McInerney @miss_mcinerney · 3h 3 hours ago
Nick Gibb says free schools enable people to open high achieving schools. MP points out they aren't all high achieving.... #eduqs

and

Laura McInerney @miss_mcinerney · 3h 3 hours ago
Gibb then pulls the "they are new" line. Well, quite. Free schools enable the opening of new schools - that *might* be great. #eduqs

I agree with this:

Laura McInerney @miss_mcinerney · 2h 2 hours ago
UM. @BarrySheerman just said he's "never seen such a bunch of numpties" as the Ministers - apparently they lack vision. #eduqs

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 6:05 pm

Credit to the Indy to focusing on Osborne's failure.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/busin ... 96391.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

autumn-statement-4-charts-that-show-how-badly-george-osborne-has-got-it-wrong

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 6:13 pm

PaulfromYorkshire wrote:Credit to the Indy to focusing on Osborne's failure.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/busin ... 96391.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

autumn-statement-4-charts-that-show-how-badly-george-osborne-has-got-it-wrong

From AS:

David Cameron has said that the government can go ahead with today’s £15bn roads investment because it has got the nation’s finances “under control”.

Except that back in February we had this:

The government is tripling funding on the road network over the next 8 years with more than £24 billion to be spent on upgrading and improving the network until 2021.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mini ... investment

£24bn until 2021 vs £15bn until 2020.

Looks like they've scaled it back somewhat...and then pretended this is somehow a new announcement. So that got the nation’s finances “under control” means less money spent from what they announced 9 months ago? Hmm...

Spacedone · Post by **Spacedone** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 6:20 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 16 mins 16 minutes ago
@LordAshcroft poll ENGLAND ONLY figures with changes on GE10 result
CON 30 -9.6
LAB 32 +2.3
LD 7 -17.2
UKIP 16 +13.5
A CON-LAB swing of 5.9%
I'm confused now .... was it a National poll - as Ashcroft tweeted it ... or was it just England?

Replying to myself now .... (advanced sign of severe confusion, absence of sufficient nerdiness factor?) to say have just seen a post with the Scottish figures from that poll - so must be national ... that's unless Ashcroft doesn't bother with Wales of course?

Did the Scottish version say how many people were in the sample? It was just over 60 people last time they did this, it wasn't weighted and shock horror it gave the SNP a stupendous poll lead.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 6:21 pm

Evening, most on here probably know I am an unashamed champion of G Brown, so yes, today has the feeling of an era passing, even though he has been in the background for the last 4 years, those supposedly foes who today join forces to denigrate, the ever more bitter nats, thick kippers and Tories who he ground into the floor can, as far as I am concerned, go and swivel.

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/20 ... -can-rival" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And as for Ashcroft's polling of Doncaster, oh dear!

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 6:24 pm

And just up at the G

Breaking down the government’s £15bn programme for road improvements
It has been hailed as the biggest road upgrade scheme for a generation, including 1,300 miles of motorway. But how much of the funding is new investment?
http://www.theguardian.com/news/reality ... -programme

I still don't understand the figures / timescales - exact nature of what is included in this announcement - and neither can the authors of this reality check from the last para.

Incidentally, the unheralded news from Monday’s announcement might be that spending on maintenance is going to be less than planned for: Action for Roads talks of another £12bn for maintenance; Monday’s Road Investment Strategy speaks of “more than £10bn” additional money for maintenance of national and local roads. This could be down to the change in time span, or it could be a cut in spending plans.

As so often with these strategies, intended to make the government’s spending plans clearer, the road ahead seems more elusive than ever.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 6:25 pm

Spacedone wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 16 mins 16 minutes ago
@LordAshcroft poll ENGLAND ONLY figures with changes on GE10 result
CON 30 -9.6
LAB 32 +2.3
LD 7 -17.2
UKIP 16 +13.5
A CON-LAB swing of 5.9%
I'm confused now .... was it a National poll - as Ashcroft tweeted it ... or was it just England?

Replying to myself now .... (advanced sign of severe confusion, absence of sufficient nerdiness factor?) to say have just seen a post with the Scottish figures from that poll - so must be national ... that's unless Ashcroft doesn't bother with Wales of course?
Did the Scottish version say how many people were in the sample? It was just over 60 people last time they did this, it wasn't weighted and shock horror it gave the SNP a stupendous poll lead.

It was over at UK Polling Report - as part of a post. Can't remember if it gave the sample size as well.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 6:26 pm

PaulfromYorkshire wrote:Credit to the Indy to focusing on Osborne's failure.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/busin ... 96391.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

autumn-statement-4-charts-that-show-how-badly-george-osborne-has-got-it-wrong

Isn't it appalling.
The state he was in the other day and barely a mention in the press. Whatever it was he was obviously up there in the clouds. And he wants the leadership.
How the hell did we come to this?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 6:37 pm

Ian Mearns MP ‏@IanMearnsMP 15m15 minutes ago
Fit for work? | Leicester Mercury http://po.st/qClQ84" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Yet another case that Government Ministers are constantly telling us don't happen!

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 6:39 pm

Dan Hodges must be so depressed after hearing the correct Doncaster polling figures.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 6:40 pm

Sadiq Khan MP ‏@SadiqKhan 7m7 minutes ago
.@hammersmithandy demolishing Grayling's vacuous reasons for attacking #JudicialReview - Lib Dems shd be ashamed of propping up Tory attacks

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 6:42 pm

Among other things, numbers starting teacher training are down, by 236.

So there won't be any more of that recycling failed teachers then?!

Why do governments always think there's an alternative work of teachers out there?

Post by **refitman** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 6:54 pm

yahyah wrote:Dan Hodges must be so depressed after hearing the correct Doncaster polling figures.

I think he's on distraction therapy. A quick look at his time line has him defending Andrew Mitchell for the last 4 hours.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 6:58 pm

There was an article a couple of weeks back saying that the problem with allowing existing grammar schools building annexes to get round the legislation was that local authorities would start to do the same and we couldn't possibly have that.

So...

Nick de Bois (Enfield North) (Con):
Some Labour councils are frustrating the growth of primary free schools by building annexes to local education authority schools, even though they may be miles from the secondary school, which often means that a less rigorous process is followed to establish the new school. Will the Minister look into the matter, and would he welcome examples of where it is happening?

Mr Laws:
I would be happy to look into that. The hon. Gentleman will know that we allocate basic need and maintenance money directly to local authorities, and the free schools programme is managed directly from our Department. If he wishes to provide me with examples of this issue, I will happily look into them.

Yeah, we can't possibly have that can we Nick - those evil local authorities thinking they might know better than a centralized body deciding on what schools are needed.

Tosser.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 7:08 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:Among other things, numbers starting teacher training are down, by 236.

So there won't be any more of that recycling failed teachers then?!

Why do governments always think there's an alternative work of teachers out there?
They think anyone can do it.

Absolutely.

Apparently it's the 3rd year in a row recruitment has fallen. There is though a hilarious caveat.

Figures covered by the release did not include Teach First, nor the government’s Troops to Teachers programme.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Mon 01 Dec, 2014 7:09 pm

Andy Slaughter MP retweeted
David Allen Green ‏@DavidAllenGreen 48m48 minutes ago
Grayling's speech on Judicial Review is "not even wrong".

It has no connection with reality, at all.

He is simply making things up.

Andy Slaughter MP ‏@hammersmithandy 4m4 minutes ago
Tory MP just referred to Grayling as "honorable & learned". Wishful thinking. He's the most legally illiterate Lord Chancellor in history.